Read the latest IA news from around the country.

Australian Capital Territory

Provided by David Hogg FEIANZ CEnvP

Upcoming forum on Impact Assessment

A forum involving about 50 environmental professionals from the ACT and New South Wales was conducted on 14 March by the ACT Division in partnership with the consulting firm, WSP.

The forum covered aspects of impact assessment in relation to a broad range of topics - two themes which were highlighted in several of the presentations were:

• the importance of strategic environmental assessment; and
• the need to consider how biophysical impacts ultimately affect people and their values.

A copy of the full program can be found here →

A summary of the forum, provided by Emma Taylor MEIANZ (WSP) here →

Queensland

Provided by Lynnell Davis MEIANZ,  Arup

Proposed new vegetation management laws

The Queensland government has proposed new vegetation management laws.

Implications and proposed changes can be found here →

Mining rehabilitation reforms

The Mineral and Energy Resources (Financial Provisioning) Bill 2018 was introduced into Parliament on 15 February 2018. This legislation will better protect the community and the environment against the risk of resource companies defaulting on their environmental obligations.

Find out more →

Other news

• Dumped waste levy to be re-introduced →
• Draft Solar Farm Planning Guidelines released open for comment until 11 May 2018 →
• Discussion paper on Amendments to the Fisheries Act 1994 →

Northern Territory

Provided by Jeff Richardson MEIANZ, Ecoz

Fracking moratorium lifted:

Big news in the NT is that the moratorium on fracking has been lifted, with the NT government promising to implement all 135 recommendations.  This is going to involve substantial changes to legislation and government procedures and processes

Concurrently, there is an environmental regulatory reform process underway; how the two fit together and whether the fracking announcement will derail the timelines for regulatory reform is unknown. 

Read more here →

Draft noise management framework

The NT EPA recently released for public comment the Draft Noise Management Framework - to articulate noise thresholds and noise assessment expectations.

Comments are now closed and the final document is expected towards to end of the year.

South Australia

Provided by Nathan Zeman MEIANZ, Principal Mining Assessment Officer

Social and environmental impact of the onshore gas industry in SA

The SA Government has announced that it is partnering with CSIRO GISERA (Gas Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance) to conduct a major independent scientific study into the social and environmental impact of the onshore gas industry in the Otway Basin in the states South East. This comes as the government fast-tracks new gas exploration areas in the South East in an attempt to increase the supply of gas into South Australia’s energy market and increase competition between gas suppliers. The SA gas incentives form part of the New Energy Plan for SA announced in March 2017.

Victoria 

Impact Assessment Practitioners’ Symposium, Melbourne

Papers from this symposium are now available.

Find out more →

Western Australia

Provided by Natalie McAlpine MEIANZ

Index of Biodiversity Surveys for Assessments (IBSA)

A new IBSA portal will be launched at the end of April, aimed at providing a central index of land based biodiversity survey information.  This information will be made available to the public once the assessment is complete. 

View the information sheet here → 

Controlled waste review

WA is currently reviewing the management of controlled waste, and has invited comment on a discussion paper on the Transport of controlled wastes – comments on the discussion paper close 8 June 2018

Find out more →

New Zealand

Guidelines on best practice approach to fish passage requirements

New guidelines have been released to assist developers, community and regulators in understanding and promoting a best practice approach to fish passage requirements in New Zealand.  The guidelines have been jointly produced by NZ government departments and in partnership with the “New Zealand Fish Passage Advisory Group”.

Find out more →